Ryan Jones is a research assistant for Dr. Paula Cushing on a large NSF-funded project on North American camel spiders (Solifugae), focusing on a systematic and taxonomic revision of the Eremobatidae family. Camel spiders are a group of arachnids that are distributed in dry habitats throughout the world (excluding the Australopacific), with over 1,100 described species, yet only a handful of biologists worldwide are focused on this group. Ryan’s current thesis work focuses on the Eremobates pallipes and Eremobates scaber species groups, using ultraconserved elements genomic data and morphological characters to revise the taxonomy of these groups and describe new species. His work takes me to wonderful, dry places in the American Southwest and Baja California, Mexico. Ryan is generally knowledgeable about other arachnids, so if you are curious or have questions, feel free to contact him.
When he’s not staring into a microscope, he enjoys hiking, running, and playing rugby. Go Denver Harlequins!
Featured Publications
Jones, R.R., Cushing, P.E. 2021. An assessment of function, intraspecific variation, and taxonomic reliability of eremobatid ctenidia (Arachnida: Solifugae). Zoologischer Anzeiger 295. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.09.002